EMBOLISM CAUSED DEATH
Blood Clot, Physicians
Announce, Killed Col. Roosevelt in His Sleep
WORKED UP TO THE LAST
Worn by Illness, Former
President with Indomitable Will Kept Up Activities
WAS IN PERIL IN HOSPITAL
Embolism Then Threatened
His Life--Rheumatism Traced to Tooth Infected 20 Years Ago
Special to The New
York Times
Oyster Bay, L.I., Jan.
6. -- Theodore Roosevelt, former President of the United States, died
this morning between 4 and 4:15 o'clock while asleep in his bed at
his home on Sagamore Hill, in this place.
His physicians said that
the immediate cause of death was a clot of blood which detached itself
from a vein and entered the lungs.
His sudden death took
by surprise his physicians as well as all others who had been with
him lately. It was announced that the blood clot was not directly
due to the inflammatory rheumatism from which he had been suffering
for two months, but must be traced to earlier conditions. One of the
contributing causes was the fever which he contracted during his explorations
in Brazil, when he discovered the River of Doubt early in 1914. This
fever left a poison in the blood which had been a partial cause of
several attacks of illness which he had suffered since that time.
Colonel Roosevelt was
working hard as late as Saturday, dictating articles and letters.
He spent Sunday quietly, but looked and felt well, until shortly before
11 o'clock, when he had difficulty in breathing. After treatment he
felt better and returned to bed.
Mrs. Roosevelt looked
in to see how he was sleeping at 2 o'clock this morning. He then appeared
normal. Two hours later, James Amos, an old negro servant of the family,
formerly with them at the White House, thought that there was something
wrong with the manner in which Colonel Roosevelt was breathing. Amos
had been placed in the next room to keep a close watch over Colonel
Roosevelt, and went at once to the bedside. He was alarmed at the
hollow sound of his breathing and summoned the trained nurse. When
she arrived, the breathing had stopped. Dr. George W. Faller of Oyster
Bay, the family physician, was summoned, and found that life had left
the body a few minutes before.
Statement By Physicians
Later, the following statement
was given out by Dr. Faller and Drs. John H. Richard and John A. Hartwell
of New York, who had Colonel Roosevelt under their care at Roosevelt
Hospital:
Colonel Roosevelt had been
suffering from an attack of inflammatory rheumatism for about two
months. His progress had been entirely satisfactory and his condition
had not given cause for special concern. On Sunday he was in good
spirits and spent the evening with his family, dictating letters.
He retired at 11 o'clock, and at 4 o'clock in the morning his manservant
who occupied an adjoining room, noticed that, while sleeping quietly,
Colonel Roosevelt's breathing was hollow. He died almost immediately,
without awakening. The cause of death was an embolus.
George
W. Faller, M.D. John H. Richards, M.D. John A. Hartwell, M.D.
An embolus is a clot of
blood. Dr. Faller said that it had probably occurred in the lungs,
but might have been in the brain.
Colonel Roosevelt was
taken from Roosevelt Hospital to Oyster Bay to spend Christmas with
his family, but was expected to return for further treatment. The
inflammatory rheumatism was due, in the opinion of his physicians,
to an infected tooth, which had originally given trouble twenty years
ago. Inflammatory rheumatism is not known to be a cause of embolism,
and it is not believed that the rheumatism was responsible for his
death, although it may have contributed to it.
Colonel Roosevelt suffered
from pulmonary embolism at the Roosevelt Hospital three weeks ago,
and was then in a critical condition for a time, but his recovery
was thought to be thorough.
Mrs. Roosevelt was the
only member of the family at home when the death occurred. Captain
Archibald Roosevelt had left yesterday with his wife, formerly Miss
Mary S. Lockwood, for Boston, on receiving word that her father was
dying. Lieut. Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., is in France with the
Army of Occupation. Captain Kermit Roosevelt is also in France. His
daughter-in- law, Mrs. Richard H. Derby, and her two children had
been at Sagamore Hill for Christmas, but had gone to Aiken, S.C. All
the members of Colonel Roosevelt's family now in this country at once
started for Sagamore Hill on learning of his death.
Colonel Roosevelt himself
had no idea that he was seriously ill, and was full of interest in
everything in the world and full of plans for the future. He was vexed
over his two months of invalidism. When he was asked about his health
by visitors his reply was a vigorous "Bully!" He deceived not only
himself, his family, and his friends as to the seriousness of his
condition, but deceived his physicians as well.
Dr. Faller said that he
had been paying two visits a day regularly to Colonel Roosevelt since
his return to Oyster Bay and believed that he was improving.
Evaded Physician's Inquiries
"When I called on him
last night at 8 o'clock, which was the regular hour for one of my
visits," Dr. Faller said, "I wanted to know his condition, but I could
not get him to tell me anything about his case. He talked about almost
everything except himself and his condition of health. His months
of illness had not made much change in his appearance. He was ruddy,
and, to outward appearances, nearly as sturdy as ever. I left him
on my first visit in the evening apparently improving rapidly and
feeling first-rate.
"I was called again at
about 11 o'clock by the nurse. I found Colonel Roosevelt looking about
the same, but he said that he was having trouble to get his breath,
and that he felt as if his heart would stop beating. He was interested
in his condition, but not worried. He had no idea that he was in danger.
"After I had been with
him for some time he said that he felt better. When I was called again
he was dead."
Colonel Roosevelt had not
been confined to his bed at all by illness since he returned from
the hospital. He had been down to the village in his automobile once
and had several times taken walks about his estate. He felt well generally,
but was considerably troubled by pains in his right hand, which was
still badly swollen by rheumatism.
Colonel Roosevelt was considered
only partially recovered from the rheumatism when he left the hospital
on Christmas morning to have Christmas dinner with his family. He
was met on his arrival at his home by the two Derby children. One
of them hailed him by saying: "Come on, Grandpa, and see what Santa
Claus has brought."
Colonel Roosevelt started
to be very cautious and to take good care of himself on his return
to his home, but he was soon back in his old stride, dictating letters
and articles with his normal prolific energy. He spent most of the
afternoon on Thursday dictating, and resumed his work on Saturday.
According to his physician, he was dictating letters only a few hours
before his death.
His last work was on editorial
articles for The Kansas City Star, and on an article for the Metropolitan
Magazine. About the last thing he did was to write a long letter to
his son, Theodore Roosevelt, Jr., in which he enclosed proofs of his
last article for the Metropolitan.
The last words uttered
by Colonel Roosevelt were to his colored servant Amos after he had
retired, and they were: "Please put out that light, James."
One of Colonel Roosevelt's
last visitors, outside of the physicians and his family, was John
Gerardi, a barber. Colonel Roosevelt usually made a practice of shaving
himself, but since he has been ill, he has been visited regularly
by Gerardi.
"He was in the sitting
room in an easy chair yesterday," said Gerardi, "when I came in. He
started to get up and said, 'Hello, John,' in the friendly way he
always spoke. Then he said: "'You don't have to send any of your circulars
to me when you want something for the feast of Saint Rocco. Come yourself,
John.'
"He shook hands with me,
when I was through. He was one fine man. If anybody was sick or needed
help in the village, you never had to go to Colonel Roosevelt but
once."
Mourning in Oyster Bay
The village of Oyster Bay
was stunned by the news of his death. Colonel Roosevelt was appreciated
by the village as a world figure, but he also was looked upon as much
of a fellow-townsman as the village blacksmith or any other local
citizen. The Oyster Bay flag was lowered at once to half mast, crepe
went up on the fire house, the rooms of the Masonic Lodge and elsewhere
in the village, while all the residents of the town went about with
an appearance of deep personal grief.
Colonel Roosevelt was
a member of the local lodge of Masons, and never failed to keep up
his interest in it. He had made a habit for many years of visiting
Masonic lodges wherever he went, as a member of the Oyster Bay lodge,
and, returning, to tell his brother Masons here of his visits. He
found Masonic lodges when he was in Africa at Mairobe, and in South
America he found a lodge on the Asuncion River. The Masons here knew
from Colonel Roosevelt of the doings of Masonic lodges in all parts
of the world. The members of the local lodge suggested a Masonic funeral
yesterday, but this was dropped when the wishes of the family became
known.
When Colonel Roosevelt
returned from his South American journey in 1914, he gave the first
account of his discoveries in an address at the local church, months
ahead of the announcement of the discovery of the mysterious Brazilian
River, now the Rio Teodoro, in a magazine. He was a village institution
as the master of ceremonies over the Christmas tree in Christ Episcopal
Church, and in the role of Santa Claus at the Cove Neck School, near
Sagamore Hill, where all of his children learned the A B C's. Last
Christmas was the first time that Colonel Roosevelt had failed to
take charge of these functions since he left the White House, with
the exception of the Christmas of 1913, when he was on his way to
South America. His son, Captain Archie, took his place last Christmas
as the Santa Claus of the Cove Neck School.
Colonel Roosevelt's old
negro servants were inconsolable. James Amos, to whom he addressed
his last words, and his coachman, Charles Lee, had been with him since
his White House days. Charles Lee was the son of a man who had been
the personal servant of General Robert E. Lee. Charles Lee had been
an employe of the late General Fitzhugh Lee, and left the service
of the General to go with Colonel Roosevelt when the latter was in
the White House.
"I have lost the best friend
I have ever had," said Lee, when he could find voice, "and the best
friend any man ever had."
The servants and the old
personal friends of Colonel Roosevelt, as well as the members of his
family, were especially affected by the news of his death, because
they thought he was getting well rapidly. Bulletins of the Colonel's
condition had come to the village from Sagamore Hill by word of mouth
every day since he had been home, and the story always was that the
patient had said he was feeling "bully" and "great."
The news of his sudden
death was not believed when it first came to the village. When it
was verified by the local physicians, photographs of Colonel Roosevelt,
many of them autographed, appeared in shop and residence windows draped
in mourning.
Flood of Telegraph Messages
The telegraph office was
hardly opened when telegrams of condolence began to arrive. They were
soon coming in too fast for the single operator. Two more telegraphers
were put to work, but the volume of messages was soon far beyond their
capacity to receive them.
W. Emlen Roosevelt, a cousin,
living near the village, was the first relative of the family to arrive
in the morning after the news of Colonel Roosevelt's death. He had
called at Sagamore Hill yesterday and found Colonel Roosevelt in good
spirits, so that the news staggered him. He reported that Mrs. Roosevelt
had borne the death of her husband with great fortitude. Mrs. Theodore
Roosevelt, Jr., arrived during the morning.
Others who called at the
home today were Mr. and Mrs. Theodore Douglas Robinson, Elon R. Hooker,
former Treasurer of the Progressive Party; Joseph W. Bishop, and Miss
Josephine Stryker, Colonel Roosevelt's private secretary.
Five airplanes from Quentin
Roosevelt Field flew in "V" formation over Sagamore Hill in the afternoon
and dropped wreaths of laurel about the house. They flew very low,
sometimes circling just over the tops of the trees, and letting fall
the wreaths within a few feet of the house.
The airplane squadron
was under the command of Lieutenant M. S. Harmon. Three of his fellow
pilots were Lieutenant L. G. Williams, Lieutenant Coates, and Lieutenant
Parnell. Quentin Roosevelt Field, which is between Mineola and Westbury,
was so named after the death of Colonel Roosevelt's son in France.
Lieutenant Harmon announced
that an airplane watch would be kept over Sagamore Hill until the
hour of the funeral on Wednesday. The watch will be maintained night
and day, one plane relieving another.
Colonel Roosevelt was a
personal acquaintance of hundreds of the American air pilots, especially
those on Long Island, many of whom had been his guests at Oyster Bay.
Every week that he has been at home since the war began he had been
visited by men from all branches of the service. The War Camp Community
Service made a practice of taking about thirty men from Camp Mills
or other military, naval, and aircraft stations to visit Colonel Roosevelt
every Saturday afternoon. He would be on the front porch, waiting
to give them a regular Roosevelt welcome and to assure them that they
all came to Sagamore Hill on "the most favored nation" basis. He took
great pleasure in showing these boys over his trophy rooms, where
the two most striking exhibits were the gigantic elephant tusks presented
to him by King Menelik of Abyssinia and a great tome in which was
engrossed and illuminated the entire pedigree of ex-Emperor Wilhelm,
autographed and dedicated by him.
Colonel Roosevelt took
the deepest pleasure in the letters which he received from many of
these soldiers after they had reached the other side and gone into
action. He was in regular correspondence with some of them.
Broken by Quentin's
Death
Only the members of Colonel
Roosevelt's own family and his most intimate friends knew how deeply
he suffered because of the death of his youngest son, Quentin, who
was killed in an airplane combat in France on July 14. This, however,
is believed to have been one of the contributing causes of his death.
Colonel Roosevelt received
his first inkling that this had occurred when a correspondent at Oyster
Bay brought him a dispatch, censored until it was unintelligible,
but containing some reference to one of the Roosevelt boys. As soon
as he read it Colonel Roosevelt took his visitor into another room,
so that Mrs. Roosevelt should not learn the topic that was under discussion.
"Theodore and Archie are
in hospitals," he said. "Kermit is on his way from Mesopotamia to
France. It must be Quentin."
When the news was confirmed
next day, Colonel Roosevelt, who had always declared that families
should accept cheerfully the sacrifice of their sons in the war, went
to his office at 347 Madison Avenue as usual, attended to his work,
and later issued a statement in which he said that he and Mrs. Roosevelt
took pride in his death. The following day he kept his engagement
to address the unofficial Republican State Convention at Saratoga
Springs, where the enthusiasm for him resulted in a unanimous attempt
to induce him to run for Governor.
Colonel Roosevelt's recent
illness followed within a week after his long and strenuous address
at Carnegie Hall just before the election, which he made the occasion
of a reply to President Wilson's appeal to the people to elect a Democratic
Congress. On the Saturday night following this speech he was troubled
with a badly swollen ankle. When this continued he went to Roosevelt
Hospital, where it was found that he had inflammatory rheumatism,
complicated with other troubles. Dr. J. H. Richards, one of his physicians
who treated him at Roosevelt Hospital, said today that a detached
clot of blood had nearly caused the death of Colonel Roosevelt while
at the hospital, and that it was recognized that there was some danger
of a second such attack.
"Pulmonary embolism is
not a usual occurrence in cases of inflammatory rheumatism," he said.
"Embolism comes in childhood but not ordinarily in adult life."
nThe inflammatory rheumatism
which the Colonel suffered was traceable twenty years back to an infected
tooth, it was said. While he was at the hospital the rheumatism spread
to nearly every joint in his body. At the time that he left the hospital,
however, the attending physicians issued a statement that the disease
was taking a normal course and nothing extraordinary was recognized
in his condition.
Carried Schrank's Bullet
At his death Colonel Roosevelt
carried in his body the bullet which was fired by Schrank, at Milwaukee
during the Presidential campaign of 1912, which nearly resulted in
Colonel Roosevelt's death, because he went on and delivered his speech
immediately after the attack.
This and other shocks
to his constitution, it was said, might have contributed to the condition
which finally brought about his end. Colonel Roosevelt survived innumerable
accidents and dangers to his life, which might have left some mark
on his constitution. When he first entered the White House, his Secretary
of State, John Hay, concluded a letter of praise for Colonel Roosevelt
by saying: "He will not live long."
He referred to a series
of accidents to the President, each one of which was not far from
fatal. Of all the accidents which Colonel Roosevelt went through,
that which left the worst effects happened in South America. He tore
his leg badly when he was thrown from a boat while descending the
River of Doubt and the wound became badly infected. While ill from
this he suffered an attack of fever. His health was never sound for
any long period since his return from South America early in 1914.
This wound in his leg was
directly responsible for the complication of diseases which sent him
to the hospital in February of last year, where for a time his life
was despaired of. He suffered from a fistula and from an abscess in
the ear, which stopped just before it reached the mastoid process.
Even after this illness
his energy would not allow him to lead a cautious life. Shortly after
his recovery he undertook a trip in the West for the National Security
League and made a number of speeches. It was during this tour that
he had his historic reconciliation with ex-President Taft at the Hotel
Blackstone in Chicago.
In June, while he was
in the Middle West, he had a severe attack of erysipelas, but refused
to go to a hospital. In spite of intense suffering, he made speeches
at Omaha, Indianapolis, and St. Louis. Taking his physician with him
he made a 120-mile automobile trip to keep speaking engagements and
returned to Indianapolis leaving his physician a "wreck," while he
was fresh and vigorous physically though in a good deal of pain. He
came home by train and spent a part of his first day chopping wood.
Besides carrying a bullet
in his body, Colonel Roosevelt was partially blind and partially deaf.
The sight of his left eye was destroyed while he was in the White
House in a boxing match. The hearing of one ear was destroyed by the
abscess in his ear last February. He had suffered from broken ribs
on numerous occasions, mostly in falls from horses, and a strained
ligament on a rib caused him a severe attach of pleurisy in 1916.
After that attack he was ordered by his physicians to give up violent
exercise, but this advice he would not follow.
Colonel Roosevelt would
never go to a physician unless he was in a bad way. He would not admit
that he could become ill and the idea of regular examinations and
medical care never attracted him. He was perplexed and indignant with
himself when the attack of disease came on in February of last year
which sent him to Roosevelt Hospital. This began with a fainting spell,
the first of the kind he had ever suffered. When he recovered consciousness
and learned what had happened, he exclaimed:
"What a Jack I am."
When he was at a farm in
Stamford, Conn., in 1917, reducing flesh by the most violent exercise
conceivable, in spite of medical advice that violent exercise was
dangerous to him, he became very angry over a report that his health
was seriously impaired and issued a statement, in which he said:
"That is a complete fake.
I haven't seen a physician for months. No human being told me to cancel
a speaking engagement or take a complete rest."
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